These words that I give you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 HCSB

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Communication is essential to any relationship. If you have ever been in a relationship where communication is lacking, you know it causes a number of problems.

For a police officer, his radio provides communication with dispatch and other officers. Radios are now equipped with a button that allows the officer to alert dispatch if he is in trouble, even if he can’t speak. If that system of communication goes down, it can have disastrous consequences.

If a doctor writes the wrong prescription or the wrong treatment plan, it can have disastrous consequences.

In our passage from Deuteronomy, Moses is trying to convey to the Israelites how critical it is for them to familiarize themselves with God’s commands. They are to hear God’s Word and be obedient. They are also to teach God’s Word to their children. They are to familiarize their children with God’s commandments and spend time with family devotionals. With the schools removing the Bible and the Ten Commandments, it is critical for parents to bring their children up in Bible study and prayer.

In Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses tells them to listen to the statues and ordinances he is teaching them to follow. He tells them in verse 5 to love the Lord with all their heart, all their soul, and all their strength. If this sounds familiar it is because Jesus said this was the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-39. He tells them to repeat these commands to their children and to talk about them when they are in their homes and when they are traveling. He tells them to bind them as a sign on their hand and let them be a symbol on their forehead.

Those around us should know we are Christians by the work of our hands and by the thoughts we verbalize. He tells them to write them on their doorposts. I have many things in my home on the walls and on tables or shelves that have Scripture on them. I’ve placed these things there because I want constant reminders of God’s Word. God communicates with us through His Word. He explains what He expects of us, just as a policy and procedure manual explains to an employee what is expected of them. Or, as a parent may keep a chore list posted so that a child knows what is expected of them. The criminal code book in each state lists the crimes and the punishments. The legislature of each state determines these and each year a new criminal code book is printed so that court officials know the minimum and maximum sentence for each crime listed. A police officer cannot arrest someone for doing something that is not considered a crime in the code book or an ordinance listed in their city codes. In probation and parole, we made sentencing recommendations to the court which had to stay within those parameters. We had to familiarize ourselves with the criminal code book.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us not to worry, but to give it all (good and bad) to God. We should be thankful to God for all he provides and does for us. We all sin, which gives us a need to regularly confess our sins to God while giving Him glory, honor, praise, and thanksgiving.

If you think you have things worked out with God and don’t need to communicate with Him through Bible study and prayer, you better think again. Communication with God is critical to our relationship with Him. The Bible makes it very clear that failure to communicate with God has disastrous consequences. We are told to pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Our Scripture passage from Deuteronomy tells us that we are to constantly be mindful of God’s commands. We are to be sure that our children are taught these things. I know I don’t want to face God on judgment day to say, “Oh, sorry I didn’t keep in touch.” I hope you don’t either. Turn to Him today. Stay in constant communication with Him through Bible study and prayer. Whatever you do don’t fail to communicate with Him continually.

Have a great day!